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Legend Golf and Safari Resort’s Extreme 19th, a Golfer’s Bucket List Item

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At 1,400 feet above the green, Legend Golf and Safari Resort’s Extreme 19th isn’t your average Par 3. For golf enthusiasts around the world, this hole is sure to be on a few bucket lists. Ker & Downey President David Marek played the hole and said it was an experience he’d never forget. He recounts his trip below.

Playing the Extreme 19th in South Africa was a thrill of a life time and was on the top of my golf “bucket list”. Just think, you take a helicopter ride to the top of the mountain, tee off with a driver, and watch your ball fall for 25 seconds until it reaches the ground. I traveled with a group of US tour operators who were playing a President’s Cup style match against the South Africa travel industry members. Our pro on this trip was Jeff Clause who is pro at one of my favorite South Africa courses, St. Francis Bay. During our trip we played Legends Course and its Extreme 19th, Simola, St. Francis Bay, Blair Atholl, Arabella, and Pezula. My favorite course on this trip…St. Francis Bay. Favorite experience…Extreme 19th.

Trip of a life time.  And we are putting similar trips together for our clients.  Just think, great golf, fantastic wine and food, wonderful sights, oh and wait…you get to go on a safari and see lions, leopard, cheetah, hippo, elephant, buffalo up close and in the wild!  Trip of a lifetime. Bucketlist….check.

For more information about how you can include an incredible journey on the green, or for information about any other destination, visit www.kerdowney.com.

Safari: South Africa

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Janna, Marketing Lead at Frosch, recently returned from a trip with Ker & Downey to South Africa. She wrote about it and shared her photos on the Frosch Insider. You can read an excerpt below and the full article here.

They say that smell is the sense with the strongest ties to memory. So perhaps the smells of the African savannah at dusk—cool and green, thick with oxygen under a veil of stars, with a hint of dust and whiffs of the fauna that hides in the darkness—hark back to the shared ancestral memory of where it all began.

RHINO

To continue reading about Janna’s travels, please head on over to the Frosch Insider. For more information on customizing your trip to South Africa, contact your Travel Professional or visit www.kerdowney.com.

Discovering Egypt

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Egypt is a country rich in history and constantly evolving, with new discoveries unearthed regularly and monuments two thousand years older than the Roman Coliseum. In March, Ker & Downey’s Haley Beham traveled with her family to the ancient country and recounts her travels below.

In March I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Egypt with my family. Being in the travel business, we’ve done our fair share of traveling, however, we hadn’t traveled as a family together since 2004, so this trip was long overdue. In the weeks leading up to our trip, Egypt spent several days in the news. With a balloon crash in Luxor and rioting at Port Said days before our departure, the Egyptian tourism industry hasn’t been able to catch a break in the two years since the start of the Arab Spring. As a consequence of all the negative media attention, its no wonder the country has seen a loss of 3 million tourists annually and left potential travelers asking themselves whether or not it is safe to a travel to a country beset with turmoil. Admittedly, even my own personal tendency is to shy away from controversy.

From the moment we stepped off the plane, all possible fears were assuaged. We were greeted by airport staff immediately off of the airplane and driven by golf carts past the other passengers to the VIP lounge to sip on cold drinks and have a bite to eat while customs and immigration procedures were cleared on our behalf. After a long international flight, I enjoyed the service provided at the Cairo Airport – a service that’s standard for our Ker & Downey clients in Cairo.

We met our private Egyptologist Hany at the airport and began our tour of Cairo by heading to the Mosque of Mohammed Ali at the Citadel, a wonderfully ornate mosque of alabaster stone, followed by a tour of the Egyptian Museum. It was at the museum we first realized just how bad the tourism industry in Egypt is suffering. A few years ago, the museum would have been full of tourists, shuffling from room to room, peering over shoulders to get a peek at King Tutankhamen’s gold mask. By contrast, we practically had a private tour of the museum at 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon.

We finished our first evening off with a late lunch at Abu El Sid before transferring to the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at First Residence. The following day we met Hany and our driver for a half day tour of the pyramids, Solar Boat Museum, sphinx, Hanging Church, St. Sergius and Bacchus Church, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue before transferring to the Cairo Airport for our flight to Luxor. In Luxor we stayed the night at the Hotel Sofitel Winter Palace in a beautiful room overlooking the Nile River. In the evening we dined on international and Egyptian cuisine at La Corniche Restaurant, and capped off the night with tea in the Royal Bar and chatted about Winston Churchill and other dignitaries that enjoyed cigars and after dinner drinks in that same bar.

We spent the following morning touring the West Bank, where the landscape is constantly evolving with new monuments excavated on a regular basis. Within the last 10-12 years, 35 statues have been found behind the Colossi of Memnon, including an alabaster hippopotamus. The Colossi of Memnon used to be the largest temple in Egypt, but only the two large statues in front remain. Besides a few tour groups here and there, we were the only people touring the Colossi of Memnon, El Deir El Bahari of Hatshepsut, and the Valley of the Kings. As we walked into King Tut’s tomb, two other tourists walked out, leaving us to view the tomb as just a family, an incredible experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

That evening we toured the Temple Luxor, a massive temple of Ramses II, as the sun was setting. At dusk the temple is illuminated, creating a dramatic scene that shouldn’t be missed. Currently, archaeologists are working to restore one thousand sphinxes on a mile and a half road linking Luxor Temple to Karnak. Once completed, it will be reminiscent of the original processional road built by Amenhotep III.

We spent four nights aboard the M/S Mayfair on the Nile River sailing from Luxor to Aswan, with stops in Edfu and Kom Ombo. Out of 300 boats on the Nile River, there are only 50 or 60 that are currently operating, while the rest sit docked, waiting for tourism in Egypt to return to normal. Of the 50 to 60 boats that are sailing the Nile, they are operating at less than full capacity. The Egyptian people are very hospitable, and George, the M/S Mayfair’s General Manager, was no exception. He presided over each meal, making sure food was cooked to our liking and suggested wine parings for dinner.

Each temple we visited along the Nile was unique and magnificent and I was shocked at how well preserved the hieroglyphics and paintings are. In many areas of the temples, the colors are still so vibrant that you can almost imagine yourself transported back in time, walking along the halls of these great temples.

At Karnark, the massive 134 pillars in the Great Hypostyle Hall drew me in. Karnak is one of the most visited sites in Egypt, second to the pyramids at Giza, so I was surprised that while it had one of the biggest crowds of tourists we saw on the trip, we still had moments of solitude at the columns to stand among them and marvel at their grandeur.

In Edfu we visited the temple of Horus, which is perhaps one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, before sailing for Kom Ombo to visit the double temple of Sobek and Haroeris. We visited the temples just before sunset, which provided some nice light for photos.

In Aswan we visited the Temple of Philae on Lake Nasser, accessible by a short boat ride. In 1902 the Aswan Low Dam was built, and as a result, flooded the Temple of Philae. A UNESCO building project in the 1960’s removed the temple piece by piece and reassembled it on higher ground about 1600 feet away from it’s original site. We finished the night with a relaxing felucca ride on the Nile River and watched the sun set aboard the MS Mayfair.

We stayed our last night in Aswan at the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan Hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile and where part of the film was shot. The hotel was built in 1900, but recently underwent a renovation and is possibly my favorite hotel. It is located on the banks of the Nile River overlooking Elephantine Island and the outdoor terrace is the perfect setting to watch feluccas pass by on the Nile.

On our final day, we flew to Abu Simbel for a day trip to the temples of Ramsses II and Neferteri before continuing on to Cairo. Like the Philae Temple, the temples at Abu Simbel were also deconstructed and relocated on higher ground, a pretty magnificent feat considering they were both carved into the side of a mountain. Tourists usually visit the temple of Ramsses II first because it is the first one you approach as you walk to the temples. Knowing this, our guide Hany took us to the temple of Neferteri first, and we were able to visit both temples in grand solitude.

It would be almost impossible to travel to Egypt without an Egyptologist. We saw many groups with Egyptologists, but in groups of thirty people. With Hany as our private Egyptologist, we not only saw the “highlights” at the temples, we received tours suited to our family’s interests. In the end, we all agreed it was one of the best trips we’ve ever been on.

For more information about customizing your journey to Egypt or any other destination, contact your travel professional or visit www.kerdowney.com.

Exploring Tanzania

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In September 2012, Ker & Downey President David Marek and his wife Gana traveled through Tanzania. He recalls his journey - an incredible adventure of unexpected wildlife and unrivaled luxury on the edge of the Great Migration – in the current issue of BESPOKE magazine.

September 2012 found my wife, Gana, and me headed to Tanzania, our “reward” after completing an emotionally draining two weeks at a medical mission in Uganda, handing out 12,000 mosquito nets and assisting doctors and nurses who saw more than 20,000 sickly individuals – most of them women and children. The dichotomy of this trip was going to slap us in the face: One day we were surrounded by 5,000 desperate people just wanting to give their children a chance at life, and the next we were wrapped in the soothing views of Mount Meru at the Legendary Coffee Lodge. But we’ve been confronted with the realities of travel in Africa many times. In Africa one can go from utter despair to ultimate luxury in a heartbeat. We were eager to begin the “ultimate luxury” portion of the trip, which would take us from the Legendary Coffee Lodge to Mwiba Camp; then to the northern Serengeti for visits to Legendary’s mobile camp, Nomad’s Lamai Serengeti Lodge, and Asilia’s Sayari Lodge; and on to the western Serengeti and Singita’s Grumeti Reserves.

But before all this, we had to visit a school. Golgatha School lies at the edge of Arusha in an area of slums where homes are constructed of any discarded piece of tin, wood, or cardboard one can find, similar to other slums in any sizable African city. The school here is supported by individuals from the United States and England, and is a testament to what can happen when dedicated people share a vision of hope. After an afternoon with the children and discussions with the staff, we were back to the luxury of the Legendary Coffee Lodge. The lodge is managed by Russell Hastings, a chef from South Africa who knows how to dish out the luxury. The setting at LCL shouts Out of Africa, especially in the dining experience: When you’re sitting on the veranda looking out over the coffee estate with a South African wine in hand, images conjured by Karen Blixen come easily to mind. The accommodations at LCL are impeccable with fresh-cut roses in each room, satellite television, and wireless Internet – little details that are enhanced by the stunning views of Mount Meru from each room.

After breakfast we met Brad Hansen, our guide for the first portion of the trip. Brad was born in South Africa and came to Tanzania looking for a new adventure. Over the course of the next week I would find that Brad’s knowledge of the bush was almost as incredible as his ability to patiently put us in the right locations to capture unusual moments with animals. A Safari Air flight took our party of three to Mwiba Tented Camp in the Mwiba Wildlife Reserve.

The reserve is a 300,000-acre diverse landscape of acacia forests, riverine bush, massive rock kopjes, and open savanna. The beauty of this scene is that it is all yours – it’s a private concession with just you, the animals, and the blanket of stars at night. During our stay we embarked on game drives, safari walks, and night drives, and we sat in elevated tree “houses” over water holes. One of the highlights for me was walking with Brad through the bush and ending up at a magnificent rock structure with a water hole down below, a place that happens to be the site of Mwiba’s next lodge. As we walked up, we surprised a leopard drinking at the water hole – two strides and he was gone. We sat on top of the outcropping and imagined herds of buffalo below drinking at the water hole, all the while looking toward the endless savanna in the distance.

Mwiba Camp is a six-bed property overlooking a water hole. Each luxury tent has its own private en-suite bathroom with a flush toilet, double basins, and shower, plus views from the veranda toward the stream below the camp. We spent many moments at leisure watching waterbucks, zebras, and impalas in this stream, and even had a nighttime visitor: a curious leopard that decided to walk through camp. The main dining tent serves three great meals a day with drinks included, naturally. This camp is a must for anyone who wants to get away from the safari crowds. Where else can you have 300,000 acres all to yourself?

The next stop on our trip was the Lamai Wedge area of the Serengeti, a region that got its name from the wedge-shaped stretch of land formed by the Mara River on the south and the Kenyan border to the north. Safari Air once again got us there quickly and efficiently, anticipating the properties we would be visiting: Serengeti Legendary Camp, Nomad’s Lamai Serengeti, and Asalia’s Sayari Camp, all located just south of the Mara River. Access to the Wedge is via a concrete river crossing that can be impassible during the rainy season.

Game viewing in this area can be spectacular. Many people visit just for the chance of seeing a wildebeest river crossing, which is incredible, but travelers shouldn’t spend their days waiting on a crossing when there are so many interesting things to see. On one of our morning drives Brad decided to continue past the 10 cars waiting at the river for a crossing and drive into the Wedge to look for rhinos. We didn’t find any, but we did spend lunchtime with a beautiful male cheetah, and while having lunch with the cheetah Brad saw something in the distance that piqued his interest. We headed up a dry creek bed and found a pride of lions lazing in the shade. While many tourists would have left the sighting and moved on in search of more active sights, Brad encouraged us to stay and watch these lions interact. As we waited, off in the distance we saw another lioness approaching us with her two little cubs in tow. There was a lot of posturing when this lioness and cubs approached the pride. Brad theorized that this female had left the pride to have her cubs, and had now chosen this time to introduce her new cubs to their extended family. One by one the cubs moved from one pride member to the other, with a proud mother finally “showing” them to the pride male. What a great photo op!

The three camps we visited in this area were all unique, and each had its own charm. The Serengeti Legendary Camp is a mobile camp that relocates each season. It has the old safari charm of bucket showers but the modern convenience of flush toilets. With views toward the valley below, during the day it’s not unusual to see topi, zebras, giraffes, buffalo, and other animals from your tent. The primary reason for discerning guests to consider this camp is that it doesn’t mix clients: You and your spouse or your family will be the only guests. If you would like a private adventure, this is it.

Nomad’s Lamai Serengeti has an exquisite location high on Kogakuria Kopje, netting some pretty stunning views. Lamai Serengeti has just 12 rooms folded into and around the features of the Kopje. The lodge has a relaxed feel with whitewashed wood and a minimalistic approach to decor. Meals are served in the main dining room, again with outrageous views of the surrounding plains. If you like to skip the occasional game drive and read a book or just take in the scene, Lamai Serengeti is your place.

Sayari Camp lies closer to the Mara River than Serengeti Legendary Camp or Lamai Serengeti. From Sayari it’s only 10 minutes to the river, whereas from either of the other properties the drive was up to half an hour longer. Choosing this camp means you can get to the action earlier in the morning and stay later in the evening. Sayari is a permanent camp of 15 tents divided into two wings. Although the largest of the three, the camp has a smaller feel thanks to its two dining rooms; one for the six tents on the right and the other for the nine tents on the left. The camp commands excellent views of the surrounding savanna, and on rare occasions the migration can be at your doorstep. During the heat of the day, the extra-large and billowy tent design and the pool provided a nice respite. Sayari remains one of our favorite safari properties, made more so by the excellent couple managing it, John and Clare Upton.

There are many other properties around the Lamai Wedge that we did not include on this trip. One of my all-time favorites due to its location on the Mara River is Ole Kira camp. It’s a mobile camp with all the amenities, but did I mention that it’s located next to the river with views of one of the crossings? Something to consider, however, is that game drives in this area must follow established tracks, whereas game drives in private concessions are able to move about more freely.

The final leg of our trip took us to Singita’s Grumeti Reserves, where we stayed at Sabora Plains tented camp and Faru Faru Lodge. Also located in the reserve is Sasakwa Lodge: Together, this trio was voted the Best Hotel in Travel + Leisure’s 2011 World’s Best Awards. Singita’s Grumeti Reserves is 350,000 private acres of pure safari nirvana. The three properties are strikingly different, yet they all rely on that exquisite level of detail and service that has helped build Singita’s stellar reputation. Their focus expands beyond opulence, however, as Singita helps the local communities earn income by assisting them in growing the produce that lodge chefs use to prepare unforgettable cuisine.

Sabora Plains is a nine-tent luxury camp on the plains, which allows for near-limitless sight lines in every direction. While relaxing in camp we saw an army of 17 giraffes make their way to the water hole, along with countless gazelles and other animals. It was quite a display while we were relaxing on our private deck with G&Ts. The tents are decorated with trunks and other campaign furnishings of a bygone era, all brought up to modern-day standards with the addition of air-conditioning, wireless Internet, direct-dial telephones, hair dryers, outdoor showers, and your personal Swarovski spotting scope on the deck. There’s a tennis court and swimming pool near the main dining tent for those who want a bit of exercise, as well as mountain bikes, an archery range, and a stable of 16 horses near Sasakwa Lodge for a rather unique horseback game drive.

Faru Faru is Singita’s contemporary property and one of Gana’s favorites. Stone and canvas building materials meld with the two rim-filled pools to create a tranquil yet inspiring setting just above the water hole. Meals can be taken in a variety of locations around the main area, providing for quaint and private dining. There are eight suites and one villa, each with unobstructed views through their floor-to-ceiling, wall-to wall windows. As at Sabora Plains, each suite is fitted with all the modern conveniences and, yes, even your own personal Swarovski spotting scope.

During our two-night stay at Faru Faru, we saw lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, elephants, and many species of plains game. At the nearby rhino reserve, one can observe the black rhinos that are being reintroduced to this area through the efforts of the Singita Grumeti Fund, Tanzania National Parks, and Frankfurt Zoological Society. The annual migration makes its way through Grumeti between June and September, but the resident game in the area is absolutely incredible and makes this an ideal year-round destination.

At each of the properties we visited on this trip, we found the local guides to be knowledgeable and ready to please. That said, I prefer to use a private guide like Brad on my trips into the bush. As someone who likes to get the best out of my limited photographic ability, I find that private guides generally have a better understanding of how to set up a viewing so you can capture it effortlessly. Brad’s patience rewarded us with a fairly rare lion sighting – I venture to say that most guides would have left that particular viewing before the real drama unfolded.

Are you ready to visit yet? Consider that the long rains in Tanzania are historically during April and May and the short rains are in November. I would advise travelers to broaden their horizons, and not to rely too much on seeing the migration, which can limit the opportunities to see other very interesting things. If the migration is non-negotiable, be prepared to pack a lunch and drive all day. This annual spectacle is fluid and wildly unpredictable: It could be in one spot one day and 20 miles away the next. Regardless of when you choose to travel to Tanzania, there is no shortage of amazing sights and luxurious accommodations to keep you thirsting for more of this beautiful, untamed region.

For more information about customizing your own journey to Tanzania or any other destination, contact your travel professional or visit www.kerdowney.com.

Into the Unknown

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In October 2012 Ker & Downey’s own pioneering spirit, Vice President of Operations Reid Bader, set off to explore the abundant wildlife and dense, virtually uninhabited rain forests of the Republic of the Congo, one of Africa’s best-kept secrets, and the unfamiliar wildlife haven of the Lamai Triangle in Tanzania’s northern Serengeti. Read about it here and in the current issue of Ker & Downey’s BESPOKE magazine.

Ker & Downey’s Congo is miles from anything one might see on news reports from the region – more than 900 miles if we’re counting. The Republic of the Congo is a small, stable democracy separate from the more turbulent Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Odzala-Kokoua National Park is far removed from the more populated regions in the south.

The northern rain forests of the Congo Basin form the second largest collection of rain forests in the world, second only to the Amazon. This is Joseph Conrad’s Africa, the Dark Heart of the continent that still remains wild and rugged. There are no trails here, no paths cut between acres of marshy high grasses and lush marantace­ae. There are also no roads – preparing for this trek is not unlike preparing for a duck hunt in a backwoods marsh. High-water waders will serve you well. The only trails you’ll find have been forged by the animals, like an “elephant highway” through a swath of thick mud, a route so deteriorated when compared to its forested surroundings that it appears to have seen thousands of years and untold numbers of rough gray feet.

Surprises are plenty on a trek through the un­cut foliage, and guides and researchers know this jungle as a second home. They’re in tune with the flora, fauna, and the subtle signs that, yes, there will be activity ahead. Frasier, the guide who accompanied Reid on his trip, seemed to have a sixth sense fixed on the wildlife of the area. As they were trekking, Frasier stopped the group and conjured a Narina Trogan out of the thick greenery to land on a particularly attractive branch just above their heads. This is the kind of magic one can expect from Odzala: elusive birds and curi­ous creatures appearing all of a sudden as if they had wondered into the frame of a painting. The park is home to 16 species of primates, including chimpanzees, black-and-white colobuses, mang­abeys, and western lowland gorillas. The gorillas are new enough to habituation to be more cautious than the larger silverbacks and mountain gorillas of Rwanda and Uganda. Forest elephants and buffalo are among the other wildlife found here, distinguished from their cousins elsewhere on the continent by their smaller statures and horns and tusks that have adapted to the jungle surroundings, curling back behind the buffaloes’ heads and pointing down toward the elephants’ feet to avoid snagging on the tangle of trees.

The attraction of Odzala is the high concentra­tion of bais, clearings in the woods with salt-rich soils that harbor a variety of plants that prove irre­sistible. These clearings are not unlike shadowbox dioramas of the forest, giving visitors a front-row seat to activity that would otherwise be shrouded by dense foliage. Ornithologists will be awestruck by the more than 400 bird species that call the park home.

Odzala is experienced in two sections at two fantastic camps, both having just opened in 2012. Lango Camp lies where the savanna meets the marsh on the edges of the Likoli and Mambili Rivers. Ngaga Camp, the second you will visit, is raised on wooden platforms and walkways to capture views of a bai just beyond. The camps are identical in construction, both having been crafted from locally sourced natural materials, bamboo, sustainable hardwoods, and raffia matting. The B’Aka Pygmy groups have inspired the architec­ture of the spaces, each round in design with one wall left open to act as your window into the wild. Reid remarked that his window was a television of sorts – a 24-hour National Geographic special on Odzala.

Not only does the camps’ isolation make for an intimate experience, but they offer a staff that is genuinely friendly and truly happy to welcome visitors, as they live most of the year in the quiet solitude of the park. Meals at both camps meet ex­acting standards, with French cuisine prepared by a classically trained chef – just another surprise in the middle of nowhere.

The second leg of Reid’s adventure took him to Tanzania, where he previewed the newest in a long line of outstanding Singita properties – the Mara River Tented Camp. This is the only camp on the river, situated to offer visitors an unmatched view of the Great Migration. Mara River Tented Camp is positioned so that a game drive isn’t even necessary – simply look out from the teak decks of any of the six luxury tents to watch the scene. While spectacular, this seasonal main attraction is not the be-all and end-all for the camp. Resident game is abundant year-round, and Reid saw two lion kills on his trip.

More than 98,000 acres of wilderness surround the camp in the Lamai Triangle of the northern Serengeti, and with the blessing of the Tanzanian government, Singita pounced upon this little-known region of the park to offer discerning trav­elers the only luxury tented option in the Lamai. Cécile & Boyd’s Interior Design crafted spaces alive with contemporary African design elements and vintage-inspired furnishings. A minimum environmental impact was of utmost importance during the camp’s conception: Power is all solar-generated, and natural and recycled building ma­terials add to the sustainable design.

Singita’s fingerprint of opulence is on every feature at the camp, from the exceptional team of gourmet chefs who serve fine dishes along with homemade ice creams and smoothies, to the in­credible plunge pool at the main tent overlook­ing the river. While it’s possible to while away the hours wrapped in the comforts of camp, a trip into the bush in open-sided vehicles should not be avoided. Lamai is teeming with resident plains game and big cats, and the Mara is home to hippos and crocodiles, ensuring a show on land and in the water for guests who want to explore.

As a first primate experience, a trip to Odzala will enchant and spoil you. Ker & Downey’s Ulti­mate Africa journey gives you a peek at the diverse environments that shelter Africa’s primates in the Congo Basin and Rwanda’s mountains, plus the spectacle of the Great Migration in the Serengeti. This 22-day jaunt from Odzala to Rwanda to the Serengeti is well suited to the adventuresome who are looking to forge into the wilderness and take in a panorama of Africa’s many varied locales.

For more information about customizing your own journey to Odzala-Kokoua, the Lamai Trian­gle, or any other destination, contact your travel professional or visit www.kerdowney.com.

CBS’ 60 Minutes Special: Discovering the Secrets of Lions

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For over 30 years, acclaimed filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert have filmed in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, creating a multitude of feature films and photo spreads for National Geographic. Ker & Downey guests have enjoyed visits to Selinda Camp, Duba Plains Camp, and Zarafa Camp, seeing first-hand the setting of the Joubert’s spectacular films.

Through the Great Plains Conservation and their storytelling through film, the Jouberts have helped raise awareness of the plight of Africa’s lions – a population that over the past 50 years has declined from 450,000 to 20,000.

On November 25, CBS’ 60 Minutes featured the Jouberts’ work, helping to spread their mission of conservation to American audiences. Click to watch the video below and catch a glimpse at the beautiful regions that Beverly and Dereck call home.

The Art of Authenticity

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Hidden in Zimbabwe and Botswana’s treasured reserves, African Bush Camps proves that an intimate, low-frills safari is still overflowing with plenty of tangible and soulful luxuries. You can read about it below and in the Fall 2012 issue of BESPOKE Magazine.

Today’s world travelers are lucky if Africa is on their to-do list – there’s no shortage of luxurious properties to choose from, an almost limitless list of experiences to have in the bush. But for it to be an authentic excursion, it helps to have a homegrown force guiding the way – in more than just the Land Rover. The authentic Africa is a safari that is at once lavish and humble with the experience paramount, and that’s what African Bush Camps has been delivering since 2006. With a foundation of simple elegance and fueled by his experience, his passion, and his unwavering dedication to utter authenticity, African Bush Camps’ owner, Beks Ndlovu, once a rising star in Zimbabwe’s guiding community, has skyrocketed into an industry leader. It’s a Cinderella story of the savannah in which a determined young man grew from camp staffer to internationally acclaimed safari operator with no fairy godmother in sight. That is, of course, unless you count the elephants.

Growing up on the edge of Hwange National Park, a young Beks would chase elephants from his home, startling them into retreat with a chorus of pots and pans. It was this ritual that piqued his interest in the animals and their wilderness home, and led to many days of exploration with boarding school friends and eventually a job at a local lodge. His career path morphed from accounting to guiding, and as he grew into a senior guide with well-established Wilderness Safaris, his renown with clients grew too. In 2002 he started an independent guiding company, Beks Safaris, and after four years of experiential adventures in the Seregenti and Okavango, he applied for a concession from Zimbabwe’s Park Board. After two unceremoniously rejected applications, the third time was the charm and Beks was granted a 90-mile concession in Hwange, today the base for Somalisa Camp. And while the elephants planted the safari seed, it was initial funding from private investors – Beks’ past clients who he’d guided through the lands he cherished so much – that made the construction of Somalisa possible.

Beks’ African Bush Camps empire stretches from Zimbabwe to Botswana, encompassing concessions in Hwange, Mana Pools, Chobe, and Moremi that include permanent camps, semi-permanent seasonal camps, and mobile tented excursions. Each property is designed with the wilderness as the focal point, enticing visitors with the luxuries of camp amenities and the unmatched beauty of the surrounding landscapes.

In the marshy lagoons of the Linyanti Game Reserve on the western edge of Botswana’s Chobe National Park, the six Meru-style tented suites of Linyanti Bush Camp are tucked well off the main tourist routes. Modern conveniences are not scarce – en suite bathrooms house flush toilets and gas-heated showers, and the spacious living area of each tent feels like a well-lit guest room in a brick-and-mortar structure thanks to thoughtful furnishings. Larger groups have the option of using the camp’s neighbor, Linyanti Ebony Camp. This smaller collection of tents hosts just eight guests at a time with facilities separate from the main camp to offer exclusivity in identical surroundings. The Linyanti’s swamps are the only year-round water source, and the game viewing here is consistent, best seen from the fiberglass confines of a mokoro canoe. Elephant and buffalo are spotted frequently, with lion, leopard, and wild dog among the predators making appearances. Hippo and crocodile thrive in the swampy surrounds, and the elusive sitatunga can often be seen wading or even swimming through the marsh.

Adventurous travelers craving an intimate view of Linyanti get unbelievably close at Footsteps Across the Linyanti, an exclusive walking safari marrying the adventure of mobile tented camping with the amenities of a permanent site. The three “mini-Meru” tents and area for dining and relaxation are a welcome refuge after a day of excursions on foot, each tailored to abilities and interests of guests. On the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans, Nxai Pan Migration Camp welcomes visitors for a few months each year as the zebra lead the charge to the pan during green season, and is the only camp in close proximity to this annual migration. African Bush Camps’ varied options cater to guests of all interests and adventure levels, never compromising on comfort or manufacturing the experience.

Back home in Zimbabwe, the grande dame Somalisa Camp remains steadfast in Beks’ beloved Hwange National Park, its six en suite tents shaded by acacia trees. An ancient seasonal flood plain stretches before the lodge, imbuing the area with the beauty and romance of the African wilderness and displaying vibrant wildflowers that blossom with the seasonal rains. Among the 100-plus species in the area, the most prolific include zebra, giraffe, white rhino, lion, and elephant – which are no longer chased away with clanging cookware. Nearby Somalisa Acacia caters to eight guests at the most, and enjoys a private view of a water hole regularly visited by park denizens.

When one of Africa’s top guides is the boss, the standard of the naturalists on staff follows suit. Along with directors Nic Polenakis and Ian Batchelor, Beks imparts a lifetime of knowledge to his skilled staff of guides, rigorously training them on all the facets of an unhurried and comprehensive safari. Cornerstones of the company since day one have been cooperation with and giving back to the communities surrounding its camps. The African Bush Camps Foundation, helmed by Beks’ wife, Sophia, uses tourism profits to provide local support in the form of scholarships, income-generating ventures, business training, skills training for at-risk women and young girls, and community-strengthening events. On top of it all, with each camp and expansion great care is taken to assure a low-profile, low-impact addition to the face of the wilderness.

At the annual Indaba travel conference held in May, African Bush Camps was nominated for the 2012 Safari Awards for Best Safari Accommodation Group in Africa – it took bronze in the category in 2011 – and Ndlovu was nominated for Best Personal Contribution to Safari Tourism. Not a bad six-year anniversary present for a man who remains one of just a handful of black owners in Southern Africa’s white-dominated tourism industry. Still, his recognition has little to do with the color of his skin and everything to do with the amazing caliber of safari his guests experience – an authentic Africa that remains unhurried, palatial, and stunningly beautiful.

For more information about customizing your own journey with Ker & Downey to Botswana or Zimbabwe, or any other Southern African destination, contact your travel professional or visit us on the web at www.kerdowney.com. 

Mission to Mozambique

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Game-rich and scantly populated, the marshes and bushlands of Mozambique have long been one of Africa’s safari secrets. As time goes on in this region of survival and regeneration, the balance of human and animal is challenged, and with the scales threatening to tip dangerously the Niassa Lion Project lends an extra hand to bridge the gap between man and the wild.

Mozambique’s Niassa Game Reserve in the north of the coastal country has only 35,000 permanent residents and more than 70% of Mozambique’s wildlife in its 16,000 square miles – an area twice the size of Massachusetts, whose population is 6.5 million. In colonial times the Portuguese called this region “Fim do Mundo” – the end of the world – due to its isolation and lack of infrastructure. Its remote location meant endemic species thrived for generations, and in the late 1990s the Mozambican government began rehabilitating the reserve after years of neglect and environmentally devastating civil war. Visitors here find a quieter side of Africa, a place miraculously regenerating in an effort to once more be a thriving slice of southeastern Africa.

Winding almost 220 miles through the woodlands of the reserve is the Lugenda River, the lifeblood of Niassa and the focus of much of the wildlife activity. Sheltered on its banks beneath a bounty of fig trees, Lugenda Wilderness Camp hosts visitors in search of the secrets of the reserve. Eight luxurious tents with private balconies peer out over the river, blending perfectly into the spectacular scenery. Though the East African–style tents appear wild and rustic, each is appointed with luxurious amenities, making them feel more like traditional hotel suites in the middle of the wilderness. A dining area, swimming pool, and comprehensive library make up the timber and thatched main camp. On twice-daily game drives, Lugenda’s naturalists navigate the granite inselbergs rising out of the miombo woodlands, each one a different shape and known by a unique local name. The highest of these, Mecula and Jao, are each over half a mile tall. You may see the rare Taita falcon, waterbuck, a pack of African wild dogs, or herds of buffalo 200 strong. By night you will often hear a lion roaring, the whoop of a far-off hyena, or the low boom of a Pel’s fishing owl.

The Lugenda River offers a watery safari of hippo, elephant, crocodile, and on occasion even a lion basking on the sand bar. There is the usual show of African fish eagles, palm nut vultures, kingfishers, and other water birds. Local fishermen are often spotted in their dugout canoes, fishing and smoking their catch on small ovens on the river’s islands. The banks of the Lugenda are also home to the bamboo-fenced field base of Dr. Colleen and Keith Begg, founders of the Niassa Lion Project and champions for conservation in the region. Colleen and Keith spend most of the year in the reserve with their two young children and a small team of local Mozambicans, finding practical ways to protect lions, African wild dogs, leopards, and spotted hyenas in Niassa. “We started off as researchers, but as we went along we realized we might just end up documenting the demise of species without doing anything about it,” Keith says. After completing an area carnivore survey in 2003, they discovered the very real and growing threats to lions and other carnivores in the reserve, and the Niassa Lion Project was born.

With only 23,000 to 40,000 remaining, the African lion population is half of what it was in the early 1950s, and Niassa is home to one of only five lion populations left in Africa. The costs to communities living with lions and other wildlife can be significant through the loss of life, livelihoods, and livestock. But people pose serious threats to the lions, including retaliatory killing as a result of human-lion conflict, indiscriminate snaring, and the risk of rabies and canine distemper spread by domestic dogs. Working hand in hand with communities, the Mozambican government, and tourism partners, the Niassa Lion Project uses a holistic approach to find ways for man and beast to thrive in their coexistence.

In partnership with the Houston Zoo every November, the Niassa Lion Project hosts the Lion Conservation Fun Days for the children in Mbamba village. The children paint animal masks, run relay races, act out plays, and engage in many other activities designed to illustrate the importance of carnivores in their ecosystem. The Beggs’ hope to expand their efforts by developing an environmental conservation center that will provide bush visits for children and training in sustainable livelihoods for the entire community.

Niassa is as much about its people as it is about its wildlife, and in 2006 a radio-collared lion helped reveal just how deep the roots of man go in the region. The lion was lounging under a rocky overhang, watched from a distance by the Beggs. “For hours we had been staring at him and this rock through our cameras and binoculars,” Colleen recalls. “The more we looked, the more the markings on the rock behind the lion looked too regular to be wasp nests or lichen.” When the lion moved on and the Beggs rushed to inspect the rock, they discovered paintings that experts later confirmed were Batwa Pygmy geometric rock paintings, perhaps 4,000 years old.

From the prehistoric to the colonial and post–civil war times, the culture of Mozambique takes center stage in Ker & Downey’s Untouched Africa: Conservation and Culture journey. Split your time in Mozambique’s paradise between the wilderness of Niassa and the idyllic beaches of Matemo Island, soaking up the sun and the intriguing history of the country’s island communities. Among them is Ibo Island, where Portuguese culture meshes with that of the Kimwani people, who still maintain a traditional life on the island. Here the silversmith trade is passed down from father to son, and the women still wear the “Ibo face mask” – a painted face that indicates purity and beauty. Theirs is a culture that persists in the face of modernization, just like the wildlife here has persisted and rebounded, but still has a long way to go to reach levels of prosperity once enjoyed. The Beggs too remain steadfast, continuing to preserve the fragile landscape and the wildlife within it in the hope that future Mozambicans will follow suit.

We gratefully thank the contributors to this article:

Wildlife researchers Dr. Colleen and Keith Begg share a passion to protect the imperiled wildlife of their native Africa. Following years of shared conservation projects in several countries, they founded the Niassa Lion Project in Mozambique in 2003. The Beggs spend most of the year in the Niassa National Reserve, raising conservation awareness in one of the most undeveloped wild places on the continent. Peter Riger is the Vice-President of Conservation for the Houston Zoo Wildlife Conservation Program, a multi-disciplinary effort that partners with and supports nearly two dozen programs around the world.

For more information about customizing your journey to Mozambique, or any other destination, contact your travel professional or visit www.kerdowney.com.

Ker & Downey to Provide Mosquito Nets and Assistance to Communities in Uganda

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Mosquito Nets for UgandaMosquito nets and medical assistance included as part of the annual relief effort

HOUSTON, TEXAS, April 25, 2012 -  In observation of World Malaria Day, Ker & Downey has announced their commitment to distributing 12,000 mosquito nets in Uganda to help end the sting of mosquito bites and malaria. Via the organization Manna from God, Ker & Downey’s president David Marek has traveled to assist impoverished communities in Uganda. On these annual mission trips the residents are provided with countless blood tests, doctor visits, clothing, and supplies, including thousands of mosquito nets.

“Malaria accounts for 40 percent of Uganda’s public health expenditures and is rampant in 95 percent of the country,” says Marek. “The people we meet every year depend on the mosquito nets we provide to prevent bug bites and reduce the risk of life-threatening diseases.”

Marek’s June trip will also include a visit to the Save the Street Children Uganda orphanage in Kampala for children displaced or orphaned after losing their parents to warfare or AIDS. Ker & Downey currently sponsors five students, providing tuition for their continued education and a safe place to call home.

To learn more and to contribute to Ker & Downey’s goal of 12,000 mosquito nets for Uganda, please visit www.kerdowney.com/mosquito-nets-for-uganda and the official Facebook Page. Additional information on Save the Street Children Uganda and other causes supported by Ker & Downey can be found at www.kerdowney.com/philanthropy

The Royal Portfolio: The Liz Biden Collection

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Liz Biden is someone who un­derstands that there’s nothing quite like the comfort of being at home. The seclusion, the privacy, and the quiet make a home the ultimate sanctuary from life’s familiar course. Realizing the captivating feeling a home can inspire, Liz Biden has grabbed the attention of the luxury travel industry by opening her opulent homes as private escapes to welcome South African adventurers.

In the late nineties, Liz and her husband, Phil, sold their shares of Jenni Button and left the South African fashion industry to turn one of their holiday homes into their first hotel, Royal Malewane. “It was a fit of madness,” recalls Liz. “I didn’t know anything about how to create or run hotels.” And yet, since January of 2000, Liz Biden and this bushveld hide­away have experienced fabulous recognition with awards like “Top 101 Best Spas in the World” from Tatler Spa Guide, a “Best Destinations” award from Forbes Maga­zine, and one of the “Top 57 Hot Spots in the World” by Condé Nast Traveler.

With so much confidence from Royal Malewane, Liz promptly turned her beach house into her second hotel, Birkenhead House, and her wine farm into her third hotel, La Residence. Similar to Royal Malewane, both of these hotels have also received incredible reviews including Birkenhead’s appearance on Condé Nast Traveler’s Hotlist in 2003 and La Resi­dence’s recent “Hideaway of the Year” award from Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report in 2009.

Each of the Royal Portfolio properties is known for its own individual identity. Liz has stayed away from joining group hotels and has spent a large amount of time in the unique and eclectic decor of her homes. “I have traveled all over the world and so I put together all the things that I have loved and enjoyed in other places,” says Liz.

Liz’s Birkenhead House is a rare sight, seated on the cliffs of Hermanus overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. A unique collection of inspired artwork, elegant chandeliers, and ocean view vistas are just a few of the marvels at this waterfront property. Her wine estate, La Residence, is known for its spectacular Tuscany villa feel, with ornate mirrors, lighting, artworks, and dressers. Set in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley, La Residence offers mountain vineyard vistas and nothing short of spectacular mountain views, beautiful sunsets, and estate-like grandeur. The exquisite Royal Malewane getaway lies among the untamed African bush and offers the sophistication and elegance of rich deckwood, Ralph-Lauren linens, and spillway pool waters. As there are only six suites at Royal Malewane, these luxurious accommodations also offer incomparable solitude. Additionally, Liz has one of only two scouts in the country on her staff, along with the only working master tracker, who helps guests to find some of the most spectacular wildlife in South Africa. She furnished her latest addition at Royal Malewane, Africa House, with 20 tables, windows, and even carved teak beds from Mombasa and Lamu. “When I see fabulous pieces, I buy them and we build the place around them.”

Liz has loved every minute of her role in creating the Royal Portfolio. “It has been such a joy to pour my heart into them and it has been even more rewarding to see the wonderful customers enjoy them so much.”

To experience the world-class hospitality of the Royal Portfolio hotels in Ker & Downey style, contact your Travel Professional or visit www.kerdowney.com.